tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17340756.post4810013544360034790..comments2018-02-20T02:47:56.324-08:00Comments on HARDCORE ZEN: Gudo's BlogBrad Warnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273179722564495744noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17340756.post-25194089009478938442012-06-18T08:34:02.104-07:002012-06-18T08:34:02.104-07:00Thanks for this article, pretty helpful piece of w...Thanks for this article, pretty helpful piece of writing.theexilesclanhttp://www.theexilesclan.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17340756.post-14773269527294311512009-03-09T21:26:00.003-07:002009-03-09T21:26:00.003-07:00er, no, woofer, no, woofAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17340756.post-41001808986535185652009-03-09T21:26:00.002-07:002009-03-09T21:26:00.002-07:00mumuAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17340756.post-64812880099597564962009-03-09T21:26:00.001-07:002009-03-09T21:26:00.001-07:00woofwoofAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17340756.post-74852138791515423462009-03-09T21:26:00.000-07:002009-03-09T21:26:00.000-07:00Dogen was just a dog.Dogen was just a dog.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17340756.post-49173262190002675562009-03-09T21:25:00.001-07:002009-03-09T21:25:00.001-07:00Dogen was just a dog.Dogen was just a dog.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17340756.post-11422710009604493412009-03-09T21:25:00.000-07:002009-03-09T21:25:00.000-07:00J'imminy cricket!J'imminy cricket!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17340756.post-32001737794138259512009-03-09T21:24:00.000-07:002009-03-09T21:24:00.000-07:00Here's some zazen for you: BONG BONG BONG BONG BON...Here's some zazen for you: <BR/><BR/>BONG <BR/><BR/>BONG <BR/><BR/><BR/>BONG <BR/><BR/><BR/>BONG <BR/><BR/><BR/>BONGAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17340756.post-89888464127760407732009-03-03T05:30:00.000-08:002009-03-03T05:30:00.000-08:00Hey anonymous, thanks for that, yes it is the Glas...Hey anonymous, thanks for that, yes it is the Glasgow Zen group I attended. Perhaps a bit too much ritual in it for me, but I guess that's got its place. I have been doing zazen every day since going so I hope I can keep this up for a few decades and do some good lolScotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01833755427454203912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17340756.post-64467791421389281462009-03-02T12:23:00.000-08:002009-03-02T12:23:00.000-08:00Dogen was celibate, and yet Ikkyū couldn't. IIRC ...Dogen was celibate, and yet Ikkyū couldn't. IIRC he even tried to make do with the homosexual playing widespread among Buddhist monks, but in the end always came back to women:<BR/><BR/><I> &gt; Ikkyū was among the few Zen priests who argued that his enlightenment was deepened by consorting with pavilion girls. He entered brothels wearing his black robes, since for him sexual intercourse was a religious rite.</I><BR/><BR/>A couple of famous Ikkyū poems goes:<BR/><BR/><I>&gt; A Woman&#39;s Sex:<BR/>It has the original mouth but remains wordless;<BR/>It is surrounded by a magnificent mound of hair.<BR/>Sentient beings can get completely lost in it<BR/>But it is also the birthplace of all the Buddhas of the ten thousand worlds.</I><BR/><BR/><I>&gt;A Man&#39;s Root:<BR/>Eight inches strong, it is my favourite thing;<BR/>If I&#39;m alone at night, I embrace it fully -<BR/>A beautiful woman hasn&#39;t touched it for ages.<BR/>Within my fundoshi there is an entire universe!</I><BR/><BR/>Clearly Ikkyū is in league with Brad Warner in condoning sex as harmless! Shall we revoke Ikkyū's credentials as Important Zen Guy?leoboikohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13196088462616982635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17340756.post-13967958115319773962009-02-28T04:41:00.000-08:002009-02-28T04:41:00.000-08:00But Dogen's point of view was totally different. H...<I>But Dogen's point of view was totally different. He states that the suppression of desire and desire itself are one and the same. You might also say that one element of desire itself is our revulsion towards that desire. By fixating on that one aspect of desire, the desire to suppress desire, we only increase desire.<BR/><BR/>This doesn't mean we should simply give in to whatever lurid cravings cross our minds. That won't help us either. The only thing I've found that works is to be very, very quiet and see desire for what it really is. And the only way to do that is to do zazen every damn day. Seeing desire for what it is, is the first step. Doing what needs doing is another matter</I><BR/><BR/>That might be just one of the most insightful descriptions of the desire/suffering thing, and explanation for/justification of meditation I have read in a long time. Nail. Hit. On. Head.Ruairihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00327915167424556282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17340756.post-56835074854522987992009-02-27T12:43:00.000-08:002009-02-27T12:43:00.000-08:00Justin, Good answer.. FYI the poem was written yes...Justin, Good answer.. FYI the poem was written yesterday by Buddhist author/blogger Dogo Barry Graham.celibatornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17340756.post-81639995136315982482009-02-27T11:39:00.000-08:002009-02-27T11:39:00.000-08:00I wonder if it was a celibate monk who first creat...I wonder if it was a celibate monk who first created the Koan "What is the sound of one hand clapping?"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17340756.post-35134055133906317572009-02-27T11:07:00.000-08:002009-02-27T11:07:00.000-08:00"You have a problem with that Justin?"Whatever flo..."You have a problem with that Justin?"<BR/><BR/>Whatever floats your boatJustinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03635409886545725801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17340756.post-38570640657005285182009-02-27T09:38:00.000-08:002009-02-27T09:38:00.000-08:00I do not believe my views to be identical with som...<I>I do not believe my views to be identical with some idea of True Zen or Real Buddhism that all must share.<BR/><BR/>But you said ...<BR/><BR/>In my daily life I have tested Brad's contention that 'there is no zen without rituals and ceremony' and found it is not true.<BR/><BR/>And more statements like it. Sounds to me that you've got your own ideas about what's true Buddhism.</I><BR/><BR/>Not at all. It was asserted that True Buddhism is just what you can verify in your own life and practice. It is simulaneously asserted that 'this way of sitting is true zen, this is not, 'rituals and ceremonies are zen, there is no zen without them, etc ' I used this same 'dogmatic tone' in order to point out the contradiction, that's all. The irony didn't come across, apparently.<BR/><BR/><I>But still, "I have found it not to be true" leaves little room for discussion. Perhaps if you expanded on the reasons why you feel this way.</I><BR/><BR/>We can discuss that, but it wasn't the point. That being ; what "I" have found to be true (N.'s definition of True Buddhism) simply varies from N's and brad's findings. People can practice zazen for years and still have very different ideas and opinions and none of these (including my own) constitute some True Buddhism. I think the whole concept of True Buddhism is silly. My views on this matter seem to be identical to Roshi Nonin's. (sectarianism article) <BR/> <BR/><I>Maybe it's more a matter of tone than anything else. But tone is important. Like you had to get in a dig by comparing me to fundamentalists at the end of your reply. I don't mind that terribly, but what was the point of it?<BR/>All I'm saying is that this has become a very strident, bitter place lately. Not your fault, obviously. But you had an opportunity to make things better or worse and I think you missed it. ....Jinzang</I><BR/><BR/>Tone and irony do not translate well in writing. Brad has repeatedly voiced his amazement that people here have misunderstood him or projected all sorts of mindstates based upon his words. As I and others have pointed out though, he is one of the offenders as well. Brad can call people he disagrees with all sorts of names, make declarations about what is and isn&#39;t zen without offering any reasons other than his personal authority, tell Jundo to &#39;F*ck off&#39; in personal emails and none of this seems to arouse ire in many of his followers. Yet when some dare to criticize him or point out that the &#39;zen master&#39; is wearing no robes, many become upset that we&#39;re taking a nasty tone, being strident , bitter and divisive. You honestly don&#39;t see that Brad&#39;s own comments seem to encourage this sort of tone and us vs. them bitterness? <BR/><BR/>In your defense of brad &amp; co., you seemed to be saying I was being intorlerant of their views (by pointing out the contradiction of personal verification vs dogma). I see Brad &amp; co. as being extremely intolerant of other viewpoints (obviously not in the sense that he&#39;s going to fly planes into buildings or advocate killing heretics). You seemed to be suggesting that I was being intolerant of their intolerance. In that sense (if that is what you meant), then your remarks were very similar to a fundamentalist&#39;s. It wasn&#39;t a dig at you personally. I respect your views here greatly. If I had to recommend a dharma teacher to a newbie, I wouldn&#39;t hesitate to send them to you (or Jundo, for that matter) even though we may disagree on some points.pkbnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17340756.post-73142851006950071612009-02-27T09:31:00.000-08:002009-02-27T09:31:00.000-08:00Brad, Thank you! Great article. One of the best. J...Brad, <BR/>Thank you! Great article. One of the best. <BR/><BR/>Justin and Stephanie, <BR/>Thank you for the helpful comments (at the beginning of the Comments section). <BR/><BR/>To me, this is one of the most important teachings that zen has to offer us. Most of our societal problems are exacerbated because of this misunderstanding. Especially now, with so much fundamentalist polarity happening. <BR/>We all experience this struggle with desire, and we all try to eradicate it through the wrong means. It is so easy to get lost in this. <BR/>If only there was some way to get this message out to the general populace… to at least make people aware. <BR/>I suspect that many people intuit this, yet don’t know how to deal with it because the solution has absolutely nothing to do with the problem. The solution is merely a byproduct of awareness. <BR/>We say we do zazen for no reason. But attaining awareness of this problem, and being able to achieve objectivity is one of the reasons that I sit.earDRUMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17103020564676742286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17340756.post-56369313525180310462009-02-27T09:27:00.000-08:002009-02-27T09:27:00.000-08:00You have a problem with that Justin?You have a problem with that Justin?celibatornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17340756.post-40391479575588555552009-02-27T08:38:00.000-08:002009-02-27T08:38:00.000-08:00Is that how you spent your mornings as a monk?Is that how you spent your mornings as a monk?Justinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03635409886545725801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17340756.post-41413327111809069202009-02-27T08:18:00.000-08:002009-02-27T08:18:00.000-08:00A monk must wake earlyin order to have timeto jerk...A monk must wake early<BR/>in order to have time<BR/>to jerk off<BR/>before the bell rings<BR/>for morning meditation.<BR/><BR/>- DBGcelibatornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17340756.post-56993849072517836102009-02-27T08:12:00.000-08:002009-02-27T08:12:00.000-08:00It's normal for monks, roshis and patriarchs to ho...It's normal for monks, roshis and patriarchs to hold the celibate, monastic life as superior to the lay life in terms of realising the Buddha Way. It is supposed to be a lifestyle with fewer distractions and attachments. What Dogen teaches is in line with this. We can be skeptical if we like, but if we're honest we should accept that this is what he's saying rather than distorting it to fit with what we'd like to hear.Justinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03635409886545725801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17340756.post-74554869747280449272009-02-27T07:57:00.000-08:002009-02-27T07:57:00.000-08:00&quot;Hence, there is a mind sitting, and it is no...&quot;Hence, there is a mind sitting, and it is not the same as a body sitting. There is a body sitting and it is not the same as a mind sitting. There is sitting with body and mind cast off, and it is not the same as sitting with body and mind cast off. Once you attain this state of suchness and attain the harmonious unity of activity and understanding possessed by the Buddha-patriarchs, you examine exhaustively all the thoughts and views of this attainment.&quot;<BR/><BR/>Shobogenzo,Sammai-O-Zammai, Waddell &amp; Abe, p.100-101dogen's ghostnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17340756.post-26421237957220650182009-02-27T07:39:00.000-08:002009-02-27T07:39:00.000-08:00dogen was celibate:lay practice: it's different fr...dogen was celibate:<BR/><BR/>lay practice: it's different from monastic practice, but a lay practitioner can be every bit as serious a zen student.<BR/><BR/>Monastic life is a way to cut down on the usual fare of distractions. I say cut down because even in monastic settings distractions exist. (Mind you I've only briefly stayed in monastic settings--sesshins and such--and I've sat zazen at residential centers)<BR/><BR/>Jean Genet writes about the stir a bumble bee caused by coming in through the bars of his prison cell and the havoc it's appearance created among the inmates--monastery--same thing, when you take most everything away, what little is left rises to fill it.<BR/><BR/>Lay practice is finding the middle way in the middle of all of where you are without leaving.<BR/><BR/>From what I've seen doesn't matter where you cook, when a practitioner has 'fully baked' (nod to Dustin Hoffman, The Graduate), he/she can go anywhere-- the monk can leave the monastery and return to 'the world', the lay practitioner can leave 'the world' and enter the monastery. Everything A-OK no matter where they find themselves.<BR/><BR/>I forget the name of the Catholic order with something similar for 'worker priests' who spend as a culmination of their trainiing, a year living in solitude in the desert and then they are ordained or somesuch and go an live in the city, taking a regular job and living a 'regular' life, with co-workers, friends, neighbors, etc., no church and no 'parish' just daily life encounters.<BR/><BR/>As a kid when I heard about the worker priests, something resonated within me--it made more sense than anything else I had ever heard about religion, and of course, encountering buddhism, specifically zazen, gave me my own path to this very same approach:<BR/>which boils down for me as being: my actions are my beliefs, my religion is this: my everyday, ordinary life. Zazen is the way to get there, even though there is no place to 'get' to. <BR/><BR/>I do think monasteries are special places and I hope they always continue, but at the same time, and equally zen priests, zen students out and about in the world! Both support each other and each side keeps the other alive, healthy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17340756.post-39472313236903241202009-02-27T07:08:00.000-08:002009-02-27T07:08:00.000-08:00DesireNot DesireThe duality of mind-object relatio...Desire<BR/><BR/>Not Desire<BR/><BR/>The duality of mind-object relations.<BR/><BR/>The prison bars.<BR/><BR/>The open sky.<BR/><BR/>Zazen.<BR/><BR/>The jaws of our agreed upon reality and concurrent economic/political/social illusions snapping down and obliterating the fledgling nondual mind.<BR/><BR/>The nondual mind gets resurrected every morning and evening for approximately 2 tenths of a second during 20 minutes of sitting.<BR/><BR/>Resurrected(Zazen)<BR/><BR/>Extinguished(Society)<BR/><BR/>Resurrected(Zazen)<BR/><BR/>Extinguished(Economy)<BR/><BR/>See the pattern?<BR/><BR/>Another Duality caused by the minute cessation of duality.<BR/><BR/>This is the pain of Zazen. You keep going, and every day start over again from nothing.<BR/><BR/>If your Zazen becomes something then it is no different than lifting weights. <BR/><BR/>This is the teacherless path. Take the teacher and reveal the teacherless path.<BR/><BR/>The teacher is irrelevant.<BR/><BR/>The teacher is equally relevant.<BR/><BR/>See?<BR/><BR/>Another duality.<BR/><BR/>Embrace.<BR/><BR/>Reject.<BR/><BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/><BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/><BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/>'<BR/>''<BR/>'''skdasfajkdfkjhnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17340756.post-47704700450741494832009-02-27T03:05:00.000-08:002009-02-27T03:05:00.000-08:00But at lest he doesn't hide his sources.But at lest he doesn't hide his sources.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17340756.post-42013872025578421982009-02-27T01:19:00.000-08:002009-02-27T01:19:00.000-08:00Mysterion said:"The word means kuge literally "pub...<I>Mysterion said:<BR/><BR/>"The word means kuge literally "public house" or "public family" and originally described the Emperor and his court."</I><BR/><BR/>Oh, Mysterion. The game is up! You are, after all, just Google/Wiki mascarading as an intellectual.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com